Frederic Sausset is a 46-year-old racing enthusiast who became what he is now out of misery. Despair turned into hope, however, when he realized he could change his tragedy into something that matters.
Speaking about the incident that cost him his limbs, Sausset says on his official page, “In July 2012 I was on holiday and I thought I had a slight scratch. I contracted an infection and within 48 hours it changed into a livid purpuma, and was not treated correctly due to medical negligence. The almost immediate devastating results of this kind of blood-poisoning are necrosis of the extremities of the body before damage to the vital organs.”
He further added, “I was put into an artificial coma, my prognosis for survival was doubtful. Then, I was sent back to the Trousseau Hospital in Tours, in the Burns unit, in order to undergo the amputation of my hands and legs above-the-knees. Some really difficult weeks of physical and psychological suffering followed.”
“I needed an objective in my life and my passion is sportscars,” Sausset told AUTOSPORT.
He has the support of Audi, which has supplied a near-standard Audi S3 turbo engine to power his CN Ligier JS53 EVO and will provide an endurance variant of its DTM four-litre V8 for the LMP2.
Sausset operates the accelerator and brake with special controls under his thighs, which are connected to the conventional pedals. The 46-year-old steers with a prosthetic limb attached to his right arm. Christophe Tinseau, an 11-time participant at Le Mans, is working with Sausset and will be one of his team-mates.
If this man fulfills his dream, Sausset will become the second physically challenged driver to take part in an important endurance race in the past year, following Alex Zanardi’s debut in the 24 Hours of Spa last July.
Founder of Auto Rebellion | Guest writer for zerotohundred.com